The Press., 1887-02-10
[For The Press.l THE MODOC'S TRIP TO SAN FRANCISCO.

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 It was my pleasant experience last ssun- mer to take most delightful trip through California with the Modoc Club of this city, of which am member, and now, when the cold winter is upon us, 1t isl doubly agreeable to call up the pleasant memories of this visit to the state of the golden state; hence will take pleasure in relating some incidents of the visit, but let me say that if told one-half of what we saw, and the reception we received while away, it would almost seem like a realization of some of the stories of the Arabian Nights
 As introductory, let me say that the Modoc Club is musical organization of thirty gentlemen, that is not only well known throughout this and adjoining states, but has sung itself into the hearts of the generous California people.
 We chartered bran new emigrant car of the Santa Fe road and had it taste fully curtained and carpeted within, and with elegant decorations on the outside, we had as desirable travelling home as one could wish, and one that exceeded any Pullman palace car for comfort in mid summer and, to help drive dull care away, we had on board large cabinet or gan.
 No iollier band of 24 men ever boarded acar after the conductors stall aboard, and with parting song to our friends, we sped away with hundreds of others for months pleasure. Our destination was San Fran cisco, to attende eand take part in the 10th encampment of the G. A. R., and the start was made on the afternoon of Mon day, J July 26th, a clear and warm day, but not uncomfortably 80 for travel.
 Beautiful fertile prairies were passed, and we reach La JJinta, Col, several hours behind, on account of our heavy train, about p. m., on Tuesday: then came more or less grand mountain scenery until night closed on us at Trinidad.
 Morning found us in the heart of the Rockies, near Glorieta Pass, which was Isoon reached and passed, and we were soon dashing down through the wild Apache canon, descending very rapidly 1n- to the valley of the Rio Grande, and reach ing Albuquerque that (Wedneslay) noon. Fms grand mountain scenery cannot be conveyed to paper by either pen or brush, but has to be seen and felt, as it was on that beautifully clear and cool morning, to convey any sort of an idea to the senses With light hat on, and linen duster close ly buttoned, rode for hundreds of miles on the lower step of the platform, with 8 firm hold of the railing on each side, and drank in the beauties of the hill, mountain, plain and valley.
 At Albuquerque we had an hour or so for lunch and tsdo'' the town. It is quite city, yet, like all the others, character istically western in it's makeup. We cross the then shallow, broad and muddy Rio Grande, and then comes barren, parched country, where one travels for hundreds of miles and sees no trees or helbage other than sage brush and cactus, and where the stations many times consist of only g water tank, with it's adjacent house with engine, to supply it with water that has to be brought there, when driv- 1 en we'll will not avail, yet, as If by magic, in the rainy reason one sees the green grass, and then this country affords splen did pasturage for great herds of cattle and sheep.
 Thursday afternoon, about 53O, we crossed the great Colorado at The Needles and early the next morning we reached Barstow This later place, 1,596 milet Ifrom Topeka, and 453 miles from Sar 1 Francisco, is very small and struggling, 1T the midst of sand, getting it's only import ance from being junction where one go l ing by the Atlantic E Pacific Rl R. car I get to San. Francisco on one hand, and Lo l Angeles or San Diego on the other, th' two latter being respectively 142 and 20' miles away. Here we had our first exam pie of the generosity of the people, for w found a delegation of citizens there iron
 Los Angeles, to meet the various easterl delegations as they came through, witt
 carloads of everything that heart couN
 wish, and we were soon well filled witl delicious fruits of all kinds, not fOrgettini
 wines, products of that wonderful country As we were to visit Los Angeles befor I going further, our train soon started fc
 there, and we arrived at that beautiful an' hospitable city late that (Friday) after
 aoon, nearly a day later than we had e1 lpected on the start. cannot at thls tim attempt to describe this city, and thos l veritable Edens, Pasadena and Sierra Madr I Villa, that. we found time to visit, only
 few miles from there, bnt will say that ou
 reception was perfect ovation, from tn Itime we set foot on Los Angeles soil unt
 we left early Saturday evening.
 Through railroad difficulty of som
 kind we were not able to go directly mort
 to Moiave, and thnce to San Francisco
 but had to retrace our journey to BaFstoV
 before we could advance further.
 "A little before noon, on Sunday, we wer
 in the midst of the Moiaye Desert of burr ling sand, and were treated 10 mirage
 which appeared to be a beautiful sheet ( Iwater with trees in the distance, but which
 as we progressed, only seemed to be tn farther from us, and finally dissolved ltse
 into barren waste. We soon reached Mc
 jave, miserable little hamlet, of only few board shanfies, and later on wer Iagain up among the mountains, and ha
 some of the. .grandest scenery of the whol Eroute Here we encounter such wondel lful engineering, in the IS tunnels .passe
 through, together with sharp curves. stee
 grades, and most wonderful of all, Tn Loop, where the railroad actually crosse Iitself s
 The Loop is 3, ,795 feet around, and th
 difference in grade at the point of crossin
 is 78 feet, I, might say that on our re ! turn, as we reached this point, a long trai slowly following ours was directly unde l us, we actually running ovsr it with non of the usual disastrous results of railwa accidents, however. We were soon in tn
 San Joaquin valley, and the rest of tha afternoon was the hottest and dustiest (